Wesley is over a year old now and was 17.6lbs at his latest vet visit. He gets 1/3 cup Innova EVO in the morning, followed by one EVO treat and a Greenie. Then he gets 1/3 cup Innova EVO at night, followed by one EVO treat again. He's a super chow hound, so for a little while there I was giving him heaping 1/3 cups, but now have cut it to 1/3 cup even. I thought they could have up to 1 cup of food per day. Or does that factor in treats?

I can't imagine I'm overdoing it but maybe I need to compensate even more in the food for the two treats he gets?....

*Pauline*

31st January 2008, 03:45 PM

Is he overweight? It doesn't sound too much to me. :)

arasara

31st January 2008, 03:54 PM

Is he gaining weight? :) I think it sounds about right.. that's what my boy gets although he gets 1/4c twice a day and he's slightly less weight. But he also gets treats.. :)

SHANO

31st January 2008, 06:59 PM

He gains weight just fine. But when I took him to the vet they said he is on the heavy side (but he's still in the breed standard weight). And my hubby is always calling him chunky. :( He just LOVES his food and I don't want to feel like I'm depriving him, so I am giving him at most what I find to still be acceptable. Daisy is our other Cavalier that's three years old and eats the even 1/3 cup vs. the heaping and she's 16lbs, but they also are from very different breeders, etc. I just don't know if the Greenies every day on top of the treats and the food is too much.

Karlin

31st January 2008, 08:47 PM

If the vet says he is heavy, he will definitely be too heavy -- you need to either cut his food further or exercise him more (ideally a bit of both!). I have two dogs that are on as little as 1/3rd cup food TOTAL for the whole day, plus some small treats. You need to totally ignore what is on the bag -- this is almost always too much and keep in mind a cavalier can be 12/13 to 18lbs as standard, and a 13lbs dog will probably eat far less than an 18lb even if very active.

The best way to judge what to feed is to go by waists. You can view these and consider where your dog fits:

www.roycroftcavaliers.com/manualfeeding.htm

This is a good page generally on cavalier feeding and the pictures are really helpful! Most likely you need to drop to maybe 1/4cup twice daily plus the treats if you need to get him down in weight and then leave him at that amount unless he gets thin. Also maybe give carrots or fruit as a treat and drop the Evo treats if you are also giving a greenie. Or start taking him for an additional walk of 45 minutes brisk speed daily, or try 30 minutes of fetch. Most dogs get far too little exercise -- they should get about 45-60 minutes of energetic walking daily at least.

Also see: http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?p=245842

These are good tips from that link:

10 tips for dog weight loss

1. Control access to food. Feed at specific times and leave food out for 20 minutes, then take away whatever isn't eaten. Also, feed three or four smaller meals daily: Dogs that can eat 24 hours a day or that get one daily meal are more likely to be overweight.
2. Know the exact amounts you feed. Use standard measuring cups to scoop out dry food, and count cans of wet food. Also, keep track of snacks and "people food."
3. Adjust serving sizes to fit your dog. Feeding guidelines on packages are typically high. It's safe to cut back 15% to 25%, experts say.
4. Know what you're buying. Dogs tend to overeat high-fat foods. Check labels for "low-fat," "low-calorie," "light" or "lean." Canned food typically has more fat than dry.
5. Cut back on, or cut out, treats. Habitual treating ups a dog's odds of obesity by 50%, a new study says. Don't feed from the table. Give low-cal carrots, pieces of apple and air-popped popcorn. Break big treats into pieces.
6. No crash diets. These don't give permanent results.
7. Increase activity. In a study, a dog's odds of obesity dropped 10% for each added hour of exercise a week.
8. Add bulk. Specially formulated high-fiber dog foods can produce a feeling of fullness and reduce your dog's calorie intake, causing weight loss.
9. If your dog is overweight, cut what it eats by 25%. That should bring a slow, steady weight loss. Research shows dogs do best when they lose slightly more than 1% of body weight a week -- just 3 or 4 ounces for a 20-pound dog.
10. If your dog is obese (needs to lose 20% or more), see a vet. A vet can figure caloric needs and may prescribe a special weight-loss food. Be patient: It can take 18 months for an obese dog to safely regain a normal figure.

Note: I wouldn't leave food down more than 10-15 minutes and I've never heard anyone else say one meal a day causes weight gain. Breeder Laura Lang suggests one meal a day for cavaliers because otherwise people think each meal is too small and top it up a bit... I feed just once in the morning myself.

simonrickell

1st February 2008, 07:59 PM

I thought that sounded heavy. BUT then I put on my glasses and read it properly:cool: and noticed it said lb's not kg's

Willow is 9.7kg - he is a skinny 'willowy' dog. So roughly hes 21lb's

both Guinness (the old) and Bailey (the young) are around 13.4kg - which is 29.5lb's.:eek:
Both Guin and Bailey have waists and neither look fat at all.:-p

Are you sure you meant lb's -if so how big is he. I think you need a new vet!

simonrickell

1st February 2008, 08:05 PM

quick search found the following on
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Cavalier_King_Charles_Spaniel__Review_5479822

"It s ideal weight is between 16lb-22lbs"

Don't worry Guinness and Bailey - you look fine to me. Nice waist, and no layer of fat over the ribs.

tony_and_tira

2nd February 2008, 03:06 AM

I'm so glad you said that cos Kobi (ruby cav - 2yrs) is 24lbs (11kgs). I have been very worried about his weight and have decreased his food to dry food in the morning and a dinner consisting of lean beef (grilled) and a little rice mixed with dry food. They both refuse to eat wet canned food and the only dry food they like is pedigree puppy food. I realise that Kobi is over the "puppy age" and may be receiving nutrients that he doesn't need and it's turning into fat. Is that okay to feed him puppy food and also coming from the supermarket?